1. Field of the Invention
This invention deals with an electromechanical remote-control device that is to be used, in particular, for controlling the engines and steering systems, but can also be used on other means of transportation such as, for example, ground-transportation vehicles and, in general, in any kind of equipment in which means of guidance and operation are remotely controlled.
2. Description of Related Art
Different types of remote-control devices are presently known which basically consist of the following:
a mechanical system; PA1 an electrical system; and PA1 a hydrodynamic system.
The basic problems for such remote-control devices are to guarantee long-term operation, precise transmission of the movements of the handgrip or control pedal to the application, and minimization of effort on the part of the operator.
The known truly mechanical system generally consists of rigid tie rods or flexible sheathed cables that connect the control to the application. This kind of system, while highly reliable, may be difficult or tiring to manipulate, especially when there are significant distances between the control and the application and when there are multiple controls arranged in series. In the case of flexible cables, deformations then occur in the cable which impede the transmission of control and increase the amount of effort required for control.
Systems that operate on electricity or hydrodynamics are more accurate in implementing control and require relatively little effort on the part of the user but, because of their complexity, are more prone to malfunctions and thus suffer from the serious disadvantage that, if the power supply is damaged or not working, control becomes impossible. This would be extremely dangerous in the case of ships and boats in general, which would then become uncontrollable.